Of Wolf and Karma
by Leebrah
Summary: Komamura is sent to the world of the living to face a new threat. But when he has no choice but to kill a Human, his life changes in ways he would never have imagined.
1. An Unexpected Mission

**So yes, this is actually my first Fanfic, i really hope you like ^-^**

**This fic is intended to be slow burning but full of things to keep you interested =D**

**(And please don't throw a sock at me for my silly attempts at humour XD)**

**This takes place after the winter war.**

**Disclaimer: The Bleach universe belongs to Tite Kubo. The story and the OC Morro Belongs to me. **

* * *

><p>"THIS is my Gigai?"<p>

A deep yet oddly stammered mix of words almost hesitated through the jaws of Sajin Komamura, the usually calm and composed Captain of Squad 7. A bead of sweat fluttered over the light-brown fur that bristled over his wolf-like features as he gawped at the canine body before him.

"That's right, Komamura-san ~!" Urahara piped, "Yoruichi and I went through a lot of trouble to make such a convincing dog gigai for you," he continued, seemingly trying to entice the apparently shell shocked Shinigami into his new fur. Komamura's Eyes shifted needlessly over the dogs hide, its body sprawled over the shop's floor as if it were sleeping peacefully. Indeed it did seem that Urahara had gone through a lot of trouble to make it look like its soon-to-be-host. It was a Japanese Akita with very similar markings to the Captain; A light brown hide with a creamy undercoat starting from its jowls, surrounding it's stomach, continuing to the tip of the under tail which curled up and over the small of its back.

"You do realize Mr Urahara…" Komamura shot a dark stare towards Urahara, who had just that instant flicked his fan out to hide the gaze of his new acquaintance "That I am a WOLF, not a dog." The kickback from the last word curdled a soft growl through his vocal chords as the fan flicked back to reveal the calm face of the shop keep again.

"Well, we couldn't exactly have a wolf roaming around Karakura Town now, could we?" A crude smile slid onto his lips as he watched Komamura roll his eyes back over the Akita again, his low growl slowly falling silent. "- we just thought you'd be happy with something more familiar. Rather than a generic human gigai"

"Besides, think of all the cats you can chase," A feminine voice called gently, as Yoruichi strode into the front of the shop, her feline eyes grazing Komamura's features in a humorous way. She lent her shoulder against the shop door, folding her arms in a laid back fashion. His eyes acknowledged her presence, returning her look with a cold gaze before watching, unfazed, as Yoruichi transformed into a petite black cat; her golden eyes shining at a complete contrast to the darkness of her fur. "Now," Her voice had changed to a deeper, more male voice, with a pleasant aristocratic accent. "Stop complaining and get into your Gigai, you're here for a purpose, you know."

Komamura nodded lightly, a coarse sigh rushing through his breath "Fine." He murmured, his eyes closing lightly as he walked towards his new Gigai. He knew that these superficial things meant nothing if it were to help protect Karakura town, and of course it would be impossible for Urahara to whip up another Gigai for him any time soon.

He silently remembered the task at hand, walking toward his new body for the long night ahead.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_(2 hours before…)_

"_Silence!" A beckoning voice boomed through the captains meeting, head captain Yamamoto's robust walking stick beating the meeting room floor below him. This efficiently caused the captains to draw breath, silencing the room for no more than a few seconds. "This is not the time to argue, especially when so many innocent lives are at stake." Yama's voice was as brash as usual, yet an air of anger sparked upon his words which __held__ the captains attentions further. "I am well aware that the Arrancar has the power to hollify __both __Shinigami and Huma__ns__. As you all well know this has resulted in the death of Shuhei Hisagi and the mortal wounding of Rangiku Matsumoto". Toshiro's fists clenched lightly as the name of his injured Lieutenant was spoken. His blood warmed and his face reddened lightly, a slice of anger taken with bated breath toward the one that had nearly slain her. He looked down towards the wooden floor, his white hair falling over his face as he felt the eyes of the room upon him; obviously his discreet outbreak had been noticed by most of the captains. _

_Kenpatchi on the other hand had more pressing business to discuss, disrupting the midget's anger fest to address the head captain with his previous proposal "So. When do I get t' go down there and turn that Arrancar to dust." A huge, devilish grin pulled against the sides of his face, just the thought of slaughtering that bastard of a hollow made his blood run warmer._

"_You will be doing no such thing, you brainless barbarian." Captain Kurotsuchi tittered, retaliating as usual to the brash outbursts demonstrated by his fellow captain. Kurotsuchi took a pace towards him, his golden eyes twinkling in the usual uncanny fashion. "If you have already forgotten, of which I wouldn't be surprised, this Arrancar can hollify both humans and Shinigami almost instantly! It would be a prime candidate to perform many-"_

"_Like I care about yer experiments! All the more reason to kill it quickly!" He retorted, taking a step forward to match the distance. _

"_Well I'm sure that you would care if you undoubtedly became a hollow during the fight, I would love an excuse to crack open that thick skull of yours" he said whimsically, dreaming of the day he could have his own sinister way with the cocky captain of the 11__th__ division. _

_The rest of the division captions stood silent, watching out of the corners of their eyes, as the two-way argument lasted no more than a couple of minutes before the white haired captain, Toshiro, decided to apex their heated dispute. "I will be the one to destroy the Arrancar" He stated bluntly, wanting to avenge both Hisagi and his beloved Lieutenant. Kurotsuchi and Kempatchi both halted their quarrel, facing the child-like captain. _

"_Idiocy" The scientist replied, watching him through a devious smile "We wouldn't want to lose both the captain /and/ lieutenant of the 10__th__ division now, would we?" Toshiro sent a demon glare toward Kurotsuchi, his teeth gritted together, but before he could reply, Head Captain Yamamoto boomed his walking stick upon the wooden floor once more, obviously out of patience with his headstrong subordinates. _

"_Silence! None of you three will be sent to the world of the living." His eyes fell upon the three captains, feuding for the right to be sent. "I have made a decision on who will be taking on this imperative mission, and that person will be Captain Sajin Komamura" The nine captains present all turned their heads in interest, Komamura's body language hesitated at the news, his fur bristling under his captains haori. _

"_Why does that mutt get t' go" Kenpatchi announced arrogantly, the only captain brave enough to ask such a question, yet asking what was going through everyone minds, including Komamura's; who seemed to be allowing the insult to slide, even though his brow furrowed lightly at being called a 'mutt'._

"_Do you really require me to explain my decision, Captain?" Yamamoto replied, his rough voice giving off an easy wave of authority. Kempatchi stood silent, an irritated huff escaping his lips, yet not confirming nor denying the Head Captains proposal. After all, he had to respect his decision; going against it would cause him nothing but grief where the Head Captain was concerned. He backed up to his previous spot in the captain's line, noticing that Kurotsuchi had done so without him noticing, much to his annoyance. The remaining captains however kept their silence and their eyes intent on the Head Captain, their curiosity apparent. _

"_it seems ol' Yama here is planning a surprise attack" Shunsui Kyoraku, Captain of the 8__th__ division mused, deciding to give his outlook on the situation. He tipped his straw hat lightly was he spoke, searching Yama's face for any sign of fault. As he suspected, he was correct. It seemed that a few of the other captains had also figured it out. "Komamura-san has the ability to hide his spiritual pressure very well; even the likes of Kaname Tousen could not sense his presence. From what Matsumoto managed to report back, she and Hisagi where both ambushed by the Arrancar, who also seems to have the ability to mask its spiritual pressure. Without the ability to ambush, it's no more than a sitting duck". _

"_And by the time I unleash my Shikai, the Arrancar will have no time to react." Komamura added._

"_Of course, you will need a decoy to find the Arrancar in the first place" Shunsui replied, watching the wolf-man with a keen eye behind the shadow of his hat._

"_A Decoy?" _

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sajin Komamura stood at the shops entrance looking out into the creamy darkness, watching the nocturnal Karakura town with a keen eye. He was now in his new Gigai – which in secret was slightly enjoyable – trying to get used to the world seen at such a small height. His sense of hearing and smell was not as good as it would have been in his true form, but the difference wasn't entirely noticeable.

"Ready?" His right ear swiveled as Yoruichi prowled out in front of him, stepping onto the cold concrete of the city street. Komamura opened his maw to reply yet all that came out was a stifled croak, his fur bristling with irritation as he found out his canine chords couldn't vocalize like a humans. _I hope they both have a decent excuse for this _Komamura growled lightly as he looked back to Urahara through the corner of his eye; hearing a restrained snigger from the cat in front of him.

"We wouldn't want you to surprise any humans of course; dogs aren't known to speak in the world of the living, Komamura-san" He said a nonchalant way, walking back into the confides of his shop, his hand rising in a farewell motion. _I suppose I'd be surprised if Goro started speaking to me_ Komamura thought, thinking back to his pet dog back in the Soul Society; hoping his lieutenant, Iba Tetsuzaemon, had been giving him enough attention.

He let out a fleeting gruff before padding out onto the street, Yoruichi following on his flank. Within a few paces she quickly scaled a nearby wall, trotting along it whilst looking down to Komamura. "I will let out a burst of Reiatsu when I find the Arrancar, just stay close to my spiritual pressure for now. Uryu, Chad and Orihime will meet me there and we will attract as many hollows as possible until the Arrancar shows itself. I will draw him towards a secluded area, away from as many people as possible. You need to kill this thing quickly before more humans are turned into hollows."

She said in the deceptively male voice, Komamura nodded in acceptance as Yoruichi picked up the pace and disappeared over the wall. He picked up her spiritual pressure, tailing her in a slower pace, and waiting for the Arrancar to reveal itself.

A few drops of rain were caught on his muzzle and back, Komamura looking up to see an angry sky looming above the city. _Ugh, nothing worse than wet fur_ He thought as the rain began to get heavier and heavier until the streets where caught in a wet haze.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

An exasperated sigh echoed lightly on the bare shelves as Morro Onomara caught sight of the rain thundering down onto the shop window "Great – and I left my umbrella at home" She spoke to herself in a tired voice, walking over to peer out at the drenched streets ahead, a bag full of leftover breads held by a few fingers. She had recently been promoted to manager of the local bakery, and naturally was always the last one to lock up and leave every evening. But on the bright side, she did get the bread that was left to take home with her. She quickly pulled her long, scarlet-red hair into a high ponytail, pulling her pinafore off and settling it down over the counter. She picked up her bag again before switching off the lights, her bright green eyes adjusting to the light for a few seconds before she stepped out of the bakery, locking the door behind her.

She dashed down the street in an attempt to dodge the rain, her flat was only a few blocks away but the weather made it feel like miles. She looked ahead to see a shop light proving warmth to the rather gray and dark street around it; a panel above the shop providing some shelter until the rain decided to die down. She quickly ran beneath it, feeling the relief as she leant her back against the store wall, panting lightly for breath. "I'll just stay here for a while, I suppose Nimayoko-san won't mind if I'm late home" She said under her breath, hoping her babysitter had no immediate plans for the evening. She looked behind, watching an elderly man eat a sandwich through the shop window, ringing out the wet strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail with her finger and thumb. Then she swiftly realized "Oh no, the bread!" She dipped her hand into the open bag to find a few of the bread rolls had become sodden and mushy; she whipped her hand out to flick off the ruined food. "Perfect. Wet clothes and soggy bread, what luck." She moaned, looking out along the direction of her flat through the heavy rain, thinking about her daughter, Moshiri. Of course she wouldn't notice if her mother was back late, she was only 3 months old, but over the past week Morro had hardly been home due to the long hours at work, and it made her feel as though she was missing out on the whole mother-daughter bond.

She took a few steps ahead before noticing a large light-brown dog sitting underneath the shelter too; its body rigid and its eyes and ears seemed alert, as if it were concentrating on something of interest. She admired his glossy fur and adorable appearance for a quick moment, trying to find an excuse to avoid the rain. "I guess you hate the rain too, ey boy?" she said gently, looking into the shop window, presuming it belonged to someone inside.

Komamura slanted his eyes to the side to see her briefly, barely acknowledging her presence before snapping back to the task at hand. _I didn't want her to notice me, let alone talk to me. I hope she leaves me alone, unlike that irritating child from earlier. _He cringed lightly as he remembered the sticky fingers and crippling hold the boy had on his neck. His ears perked lightly as he sensed Uryu's spiritual pressure, along with Chad and Orihime, it seemed they were not fighting any hollows yet.

"Hey, are you hungry?" Morro said gently, pulling out one of the bread rolls and kneeling next to Komamura. She broke it in half and offered it to him.

_I don't want it, go away. _He thought, his muzzle tilting in the opposite direction to her offering.

"What's wrong? I've never known a dog to leave food before."

_That's because you're offering me, a Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads, a soggy piece of bre – _

She gently placed her other hand atop his head and stroking the side of his ear, causing Komamura's thoughts to halt for a second as an overpowering calm settled though his body as she stroked him gently. His head moved into her hand as a happy growl rumbled through his throat. Never in his life had a woman touched his ears – Gigai or no Gigai.

"You're a handsome one aren't you?" She said playfully, running her hands down his neck and back. Komamura hesitated for a moment, actually enjoying the attention. _Handsome? Now that's a first _he thought, _She wouldn't think so if she saw my true – _His thoughts crumbled again as she stroked the side of his ear once more.

It was then that he sensed it, his eyes widening as Yoruichi's Reiatsu flared up in that moment. _The Arrancar! _He thought before launching out of Morro's gentle hands and straight out into the cold, rainy streets. She jumped slightly as he bolted from her arms, standing and looking through the shop window to see if his owner where about to chase him, yet no one moved. She looked back to see Komamura turn a corner and leave her sight. "I guess he was a stray after all. Come to think about it, he didn't have a collar. I hope he doesn't get caught" She spoke to herself, starting to walk towards her route as the rain began to weaken, making a mental note to check with the pound within the next few days.

Komamura could feel the spikes of spiritual pressure from the others, it was obvious that the battle had begun against the hollows that had been created by the Arrancar, and subsequently the Arrancar had been flushed out from wherever it had been hiding. He could feel that Yoruichi was close, guiding the clueless Arrancar to a secluded location with her large spiritual pressure, which didn't seem to be as difficult as they had first thought. The Late night and heavy rain had almost rendered the streets lifeless and deserted. Komamura slowed his pace, waiting for Yoruichi's Reiatsu to settle into one place, but it seemed the 'Flash goddess' was not letting the Arrancar get too close to her. He could feel its spiritual pressure spike then disappear as if it was slipping in and out of existence.

He took a step in Yoruichi's direction before a loud, fearful scream gripped his attention, followed by the pressure of another hollow not too far away. _damn it _he thought, averting his attention to where the others where. _They're all too far away to help, If I don't do something we'll be surrounded. _He tactically took his chances, knowing that Yoruichi would be able to fend the Arrancar off for a few moments whilst he dealt with the new hollow, and with that thought he turned tail and sped towards the new spiritual pressure - and the scream, hoping it wasn't too late.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Morro's jade eyes where wide, quivering in fear, watching in horror as a passerby was hanging in the air by his leg; struggling to free himself from the unworldly force that throwing him around like a puppet. His body then shot straight down onto the hard concrete, a torrent of blood spanning over the impact before his limp body was again lifted, then seemingly devoured into the air.

Morro couldn't run, she merely watched in a petrified state, cupping her mouth with her hands as her eyes gaped wide in shock, her body shook with stress. She fell to her knees, staring at the crumbled concrete and blood from where the man had fallen._ How is this even possible? What on earth is happening.._ It was then that the earth began to rumble, and two huge circles of concrete seemed to be crushed under a heavy weight, a huge blur beginning to tower over her. Her skin fell flush and her body seemed to automatically push her back, her mind shouting at her _Run! You need to run! Move! _She shuffled back before rising to her feet in a panic, tripping once. But before she could gain her balance she felt a huge blow to her side, forcing her body a few feet to the side into the wall of a building. Her eyesight blurred for a moment as the pain surged through her side, falling over in a daze. He looked up, only hearing her heartbeat quicken as a monstrous mask-like face came into focus before slipping back into a blur _What… what the fuck is that thing? _Her eyes wept in pain as her arm has grabbed out of nowhere, lifting her up of the ground. She screamed in desperation and terror, the grip on her arm was so tight she could feel the blood being squeezed into her hand. "Please! Somebody help!" she cried, looking forward and straight into the eyes of a hollow. Her eyes adjusting to what seemed the last thing she would ever witness, her thought rolling back to the fate of the man before her. _No no no… I don't want to die yet, not now! _Her eyes stayed wide before closing at the sound of the hollows demon shriek, its breath like a sour gust of wind, making her eyes sting.

Almost abruptly the hollows grip faded, she opened her eyes to see the monster crumbling to ash before her, a large flash of light pouring from the center of its face. She blinked in disbelief as she was caught from the fall, the pain in her side and arm apparently bearable after what she had just seen. She looked up to her savior, but she could not focus upon his face, general details wavering as she tried to adjust her eyes.

Komamura looked down at the woman, rather glad that she couldn't readily see spirits. The last thing he wanted was to be branded as a monster after just saving her. He placed her gently down before pacing back over to his Gigai, taking a glance back to see the bloodied concrete. "It seems I was not quick enough. Please forgive me" He said to her, Morro's eyes opening through the shock, watching the blurry figure. Her lips parted to reply, but before the words escaped a huge boom of spiritual pressure surrounded them.

Komamura braced, watching in anticipation as dozens of hollows appeared over fences and walls, perched and ready to attack, their eyes like flares in the darkness_. I must have given off too much spiritual pressure whilst slaying that hollow._ He paced over to where Morro was, unsheathing his Zanpakuto once more.

"W-what /are/ th-those things?" Morro whispered as Komamura stood in front of her, her green eyes wide as she scanned their hazy 'faces', the spiritual pressure emitted from the hollows was beginning to tear away at the barrier of her human mind.

"Hollows. They are human souls that have not crossed over, and have become corrupt. They feed on the souls of the living and the dead."

"H-Hollows." She repeated. Her eyes latched on them like a leech, sucking in every detail. "Then who or what are you?" She said, looking up at Komamura's tall frame before gasping lightly as she saw his outline. Ears? She looked to the side to see his Gigai lying lifeless upon the concrete, trying to piece it together in her distressed mind. _is he, was he… that dog from earlier?_

"I am a Soul Reaper, we defend the world of the living against Hollows." He said in the simplest way possible, his eyes focused upon the hollows who where yet to make their move.

A relived sigh passed through Morro's lips before Yoruichi, now in her true form, shunpoed into the street. Her stance ready and her eyes focused on Komamura "Well, this adds an interesting twist to our strategy" She said light heartedly, looking over to Morro, then onto the blooded concrete. She narrowed her eyes before one of the hollows rose up, letting out a loud roar into the night's sky. Suddenly they all pounced forward, Yoruichi and Komamura lunging in turn to make quick work out of the hollows.

There was nowhere to run, and so Morro sat in awe watching the blurry battle run it's coarse. It wasn't until a tall guy with a bulky mass around his fist and arm, and also a more slender one with a white outfit turned up that she started to stand. It seemed they were fighting together to defeat the hollows which relived her to no end. She lent her back against the wall, taking in her first deep breath since the whole ordeal started. She looked to the side, catching a glance at an orange haired woman entering the fray.

"Orihime!" Morro shouted, her mouth gawping at the sight of her co-worker from the bakery.

"Morro-San!" Orihime replied, her face full of worry as she dashed over, gently placing her hand on her arm "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, I'm sure I'll be fine." Morro said faintly, her left hand clutching the top of her right arm as if she knew it was already broken, yet the physical pain was incomparable to the shock of everything. "What are you doing here? Do you realize how dangerous this is?"

Orihime waved her hands in front of her face trying to calm her down "Don't worry about me, Morro-San, I'll be ok" She replied, facing the ensuing battle ahead, wondering whether her powers were better off being used to protect her co-worker rather than getting in the way between the battle.

Yet it was clear that tactics was not going to be a resounding issue as a haunting laugh bellowed out, catching everyone's ear.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry but i love to beat up my OC's XD<strong>

**Next chapter will be up soon and it will all come together, sorry if it all seems a bit messy at the mo.**

**Thank you for reading, please please Review and let me know what you think =3**

**btw. Sorry if my grammar is a bit out in some places =)**

**And sorry for the lack of Ichigo, ive placed the fic upon the time he loses his powers, but he will be in future chapters.**


	2. By His Blade

**The next chapter is here =)**

**I want to thank Coyote 71 and Kenta for reviewing on my last chapter, i really appreciate the encouragement ^-^**

**So there is a lot more action in this one, Please tell me what you think.**

****Disclaimer: The Bleach universe belongs to Tite Kubo. The story and the OC's Morro and Veneno Belong to me.****

* * *

><p>A surge of Spirit pressure rapidly burned from the white robed figure standing upon the air as if it were a sheet of glass. His violet eyes burning through his ivory bone mask which covered the right side of his face, narrowing and twisting into a spiral at the end. It carried down from the back of his neck to create a pattern of circles upon his back and shoulders. There were no teeth to the mask, which avoided his lips and a choppy torrent of white hair fell down to his waist. His sword was tied beneath his robe at the waist, the hilt marked with white and mauve. He smiled devilishly, bearing pearly white teeth which seemed to be filed down to a point.<p>

The flood of hollows had ceased their onslaught; making it clear that not only could the Arrancar hollowfy both Humans and Shinigami, but also control them to his every whim. They quickly congregated under, over and beside the Arrancar, as if acting like loyal servants ready to die for their master.

Komamura's blade steadied as he held it to the side in one hand, his eyes concreted upon the new arrival as his brow furrowed in anger. Yoruichi quickly Shunpoed to his side before they were joined by the rest of the group, apart from Orihime who had decided to stand in front of a trembling Morro in hopes of protecting her. Uryu's bow was drawn, a lightning blue arrow formed in anticipation of an attack.

"Well… isn't this a turnout." The Arrancar said in a nonchalant way, a slight hint of charm deceptively warming his words. A large, greedy grin spread across his face as he opened his right palm, gently stroking one of the hollows closest to him. "I'm flattered that so many of you want to become part of my army. Yes… Very flattered indeed."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Arrancar." Uryu replied flatly, angered by the Arrancar's audacity.

"Oh please don't humor me, Quincy, I have already done away with two lieutenants, your better to just accept the inevitable. You will become one of mine. Don't worry it's rather painless – if you do not struggle of course." A light snigger ended his sentence, watching Uryu's eyes harden before the Arrancar's sight fell upon Komamura's strange features. "And I see you have brought a pet with you, how curious."

Yoruichi smiled gently at the Arrancar's mistake, fully aware that Komamura was still suppressing a large chunk of his spiritual pressure.

"Allow me to educate you; I am no mere pet, but Captain of Squad Seven of the fourteen court guard squads, Sajin Komamura." his eyes narrowed at the insult, a low growl resonating from his vocals as he watched the confident enemy with a concentrated eye.

"My, I am honored, a Captain in my presence – and I have not yet introduced myself to you. My name is Veneno Sylvat" he said with a short, conceited bow. "But of course that name will mean nothing to you by the time I am through, I may even devour you myself for good measure, Captain." His eyes gleamed at the prospect.

"If you do manage such a feat, then it would be your right to do so." Komamura replied, raising his sword to cross his body.

"Not that I needed your consent, Captain. Gaining all this power has just been too easy to be truthful with you." He said in a menacing way.

"Then may I suggest that you leave Karakura and return back to Hueco mundo for the challenge." Komamura replied, keeping up appearances whilst he scanned the Arrancar's form for any kind of weakness.

"Oh there will be no need for that I'm sure. Karakura has so many juicy souls; they are all so rich in spirit energy. It would be ludicrous for me to leave."

His eyes then rolled onto the two women by the side of the building, a smile creeping onto his lips.

Orihime's eyes toughened, stepping further in front of Morro who was kneeling on the cold concrete under the weight of the Arrancar's spiritual pressure, her body quaking from the pain. Morro could hear every word spoken, but out of the weight and fear she could not lift her head to lay her eyes upon him. She had never felt so utterly helpless _This is just a dream, I swear, I will wake up soon and make breakfast for Moshiri and me, it's just a terrible dream_ But everything she felt was beginning to knock her back into the real world, her mind begging to accept that this was real, but there was nothing for her to do but listen and wait until her strength returned.

"How noble of you, protecting a /friend/" Veneno assumed, pulling one of his bony hands up to point towards them. Orihime's eyes widened as she began to see the red cero light collecting at his finger.

Yet before she could draw out her Shun Shun Rikka, a blue arrow was shot from Uryu's arrow at a rapid speed. But before it had hit its target, Veneno had nimbly re-directed his arm, throwing it forward to command one of the Hollows beside him to take the hit.

It was over in a blink of the eye, and all that bore the attack was a roaring hollow, crushed into a flurry of ashes that slowly dissipated into the breeze.

"You can't blame me for testing your reactions." Uryu stated, trying to direct the fight away from Orihime and Morro.

"Unfortunately for you, /Quincy/, cheap shots do not work on me" Veneno spat, his integrity maimed slightly, making him seem bitterer than before. However the distraction seemed to work and his full attention was now on the main group of fighters once more. "- and of course, I hope you don't mind if I decide to test /your/ reactions…" A taunting laugh riveted through his vocal chords, as one hand rose into the air. He scrunched his eyes in concentration as a violet light, akin to his eyes, enveloped his hand and arm. The group fell back into a defensive stance as one by one the hollows glowed the same eerie purple, the light enveloping the whole troop before it flashed, leaving just the hollows eyes glowing. A deep snicker was the only sound before he threw his arm forward, sending a barrage of hollows hurtling towards the group in frenzy.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Morro had managed to hoist herself up against the concrete wall, the pain in her side and arm, not to mention the whole ordeal, had riddled her nerves so much that the adrenaline was beginning to finally kick in. Her strength was starting to return and finally she was able to raise her heavy mind to observe the carnage before her. The Hollows where different this time, her jade eyes hanging wide as she watched the wave upon wave fall down upon her saviors. She could see more clearly now, as if a wall in her mind had crumbled to dust. It was clear that the amount of spiritual pressure she had been bombarded with had done just that.

"Orihime…" she stammered, looking up to the orange haired woman in front of her. She quickly turned, leaning over to pull Morro to her feet.

"I need to get you out of here, Morro-san, it's far too dangerous, you need to get to safety. Can you stand?" Orihime said, her voice doused in worry, not just for her but for all her friends.

Morro could feel Orihime trying to pull her up, she wondered how the woman could be so calm and collected – nothing was making sense. "Yes, yes I think I can stand" she nodded; using Orihime as a support as she almost sprang to her feet in desperation, a feat that she did not think possible in her state.

"Lets go."

Morro nodded and they started to make their way, but her sights drifted back to the fight in a last ditch attempt to understand, to believe that what happened just now was real. Suddenly she felt Orihime stop and pull her back.

The Arrancar's voice booming over the chaos "I wouldn't want you to escape that easily now, would i?"

"Look out Morro-San!" Orihime cried as she launched herself in front of Morro again, an array of violet eyed hollow's blocked their path and leapt towards them, their shrieks loud and gruesome. But in a swift movement a blade sliced through them, the ash combing over the women's faces. As the ash faded Komamura was revealed, standing over the two, his eyes meeting with Morro's for a fleeting moment, and with that moment came a great resolve. She felt safe, and knew she could trust him with her life. Yet Komamura felt as though he could have saved her from this, and he knew the danger was far from over. A pang of guilt ran through his veins, and he noticed that even through her roughed up hair and blood stains on her skin, she was a beautiful creature, and yet she did not seem to care about his looks either.

"Orihime, now, get her to safety" Komamura said virtuously before sparing one last look towards Morro as he returned to the fight.

Orihime nodded, pulling Morro by her good arm once more in a hurried fashion. Orihime knew that once her wounds were healed, Urahara would surely erase her memory like he had done for so many in the past. She felt it a shame to lose such memories, but she knew it was for the best.

Abruptly a shower of thousands of arrows hailed from Uryu's bow, combined by a huge blast from Chad's El Directo, almost cleansing the skies and earth of all the hollows in the vicinity. The air was thick with black dust, but within seconds it was clear, revealing the Arrancar standing above them again.

Veneno sneered, having used the last of his hollows to fend off the reign of arrows had made him begin to feel desperate, but with an ace up his sleeve he began to feel much, much more confident.

"None will escape me this time, I guarantee you that. Mutate: Mariposa!" His devilish smile showed his array of spiked teeth as the words rumbled through his throat, he swiftly whipped his sword out, the blade glowing a blinding violet before a huge burst of spiritual pressure gravitated from his body.

Morro was forced to the earth from the pressure again, unable to move her petite body, her hands and knees holding her up as her whole body felt like it was on fire. She could hear Orihime's muffled voice, but through the weight she could not make out, let alone respond to her words.

"You need to be careful. This is the form that both Rangiku and Hisagi fought, he is powerful, and can also use his hollowfication powers." Yoruichi affirmed, looking to Komamura who nodded in reply, watching the Arrancar with a calculating mind. He was ready to end this in a single blow, but the timing had to be perfect.

Veneno had released his Zanpakuto, and had begun his resurrection stage. His mask had begun to grow and shape around his head until it was completely covered, the spiral at his chin flexed out, becoming longer. The circles along his back and shoulders ripped from his body, forming into large, bone-like butterfly wings; held together by a frame of white hair which had become attached the wing membrane.

Morro managed to raise her head before Veneno decided to speak. The pressure was vast, but it seemed that she was recovering a lot quicker than the last time.

"Now, let's make an example out of you. Those weak enough to flee do not deserve to live." Veneno's voice being much more grisly and foreboding than earlier. With a swift, crunching flap of his wings, a violent flow of red dust surged from the seemingly vacant holes in his wings, hurtling towards the two. Orihime threw her arms up in front of her, taking in a deep breath before summoning her Shun Shun Rikka. She was unsure as to whether her shield could resist such an attack, but it was her chance to protect and she was willing to risk her life for the sake of saving another.

"Santen Kesshun! I Re-"

"- Orihime look out!" Before she could finish her incantation, Morro rose to her feet, pushing Orihime out of the way in a violent tackle. The movement broke her concentration, and Orihime fell to the ground a few feet away. Leaving Morro in the path of Veneno's special attack. In the space of a few seconds all she saw was a plume of red envelop her whole body with a texture like sand. Then suddenly the cloud rose up in a snake like movement, shooting down into Morro's mouth and down her throat. She sat in a sense of stillness for a long moment; all she could feel was a sickening sense of darkness and hopelessness. As if all her vigor and life had been drained from her hands and into the cold concrete below her. She was silent.

"M-Morro-San…" Orihime reached out her hand before it was caught by Yoruichi who had swiftly Shunpoed to her side.

"Don't touch her. The same happened with Hisagi – There is nothing we can do for her now." Yoruichi said gently, pulling Orihime to her feet.

Komamura growled, fur bristling like red fury as he listened to the Arrancar's frivolous laughter "Well, I tried to hit two birds with one stone, but I'm sure one will do for now." The laughter continued before Komamura threw his sword in front of him, charging that the fiend, a determined roar accompanying the assault. Veneno quickly faced his palm to the Shinigami, blasting a humming beam of red cero straight at the Captain, creating a cavern of destroyed buildings in its wake. Screams of citizens bellowing from the blazing ruins.

As the Cero passed Komamura was nowhere to be seen, a smile from the Arrancar was the only reaction. He now could not sense the Captains spiritual pressure. "Defeated by a mere Cero, how quaint!" Veneno snickered blissfully, looking down towards his next target.

"ROAR: TENKEN!" A gigantic sword ghosted from the air, held by a huge armored arm. It shot downwards through the air in a quick, concise movement. A ripping sound was heard, and Komamura now stood behind the Arrancar, his body calm yet his eyes on fire with rage. "It seems you are the one who has been defeated. You should never underestimate you enemy. In the end it was your own arrogance that led to your demise."

Veneno's eyes widened as his body began to feel limber – all feeling was halted as everything went black, and his body fell to the concrete in two separate parts. Split from the head down. His remains slapped the concrete in a dull splatter of darkened blood, bringing an end to his sick crusade.

His eyes then snapped to Morro who had promptly risen to her knees, a muffled scream riveted the air as an explosion of white liquid plumed from her mouth, gripping her body in unbearable pain. Orihime ran before falling to her knees beside her, pulling her hands out as tears leveled at her eyes. "Soten Kissun: I reject!" Two of her fairies shot into the air around Morro, opening up a healing shield over her. Yoruichi stood by her side, watching knowingly as the orange hued dome cracked in to pieces, dissipating into the air as the two fairies shone back into place upon her hair clips. She let out a stifled gasp before looking to Yoruichi, who backed up as Morro's body convulsed, her screams intensifying.

Orihime quickly jumped away, just a moment before Komamura's Zanpakuto shot through Morro's throat, stopping with a thud as the hilt impacted her neck. Her screams where stopped abruptly as her vocal chords and windpipe were destroyed in one throw. Her eyes expanded as the white liquid began to seep back into her stomach ridding her body of the substance, her skin tone rosy once more and her eyes now aware of what was happening.

She pulled her hands onto the hilt feeling the click as her hands held the weight, her teeth were clenched together as she looked dead ahead to the Captain who had taken her life. As her grip tightened on the Zanpakuto, it began to glow a halo of red, and as touched her skin she felt an ounce of strength return. Blood spilled from her wound in nauseating bouts, her body shook and her mind was beginning to seize up. All she could see was a blurring world, but his silhouette still carved an outline in her dreary mind.

_I trusted you, you were supposed to keep me from death, but instead it was done by your hands._

Her eyes then closed; face sticky with blood and salty tears. She pulled on the Zanpakuto with all her might, ripping it from her throat and sending it across the concrete with a loud clang, a stream of blood following its path.

Blood spluttered from her mouth in a silent cough as her limp body fell to the earth, her eyes empty.

"Komamura-Sama… Why?" Orihime stuttered, cupping her mouth gently in her hands as she fell to her knees next to Morro.

"Would you have rather seen her die as a hollow, or a human?" He said, picking up his Zanpakuto which had now ceased glowing, swiping the air to rid it of her blood. His face was solemn and his eyes heavy "As a hollow I would have had no choice but to strike her down. How could I just sit and wait for her humanity to fade away before laying her to rest. I have done what I know is right."

"You do realize the consequences for this, Komamura." Yoruichi said lightly, knowing that a death of a human by Shinigami hand was taboo where the sole society was concerned.

"I am fully aware of the cost, but I am willing to take that upon myself."

Yoruichi nodded thankfully, she knew he had done the right thing, and hoped for his sake that the Soul Society would see that too.

She looked to Morro's body, a soft light phasing into a smoky hue next to it before her soul emerged out of the nothingness. Her blood stained clothing was replaced by an ivory robe, her scarlet hair was free from its pony tail, falling to the middle of her back. Her jade eyes opened, now seeing the world through a spirit's. She pulled her hands up examine them, her eyes wide with revelation, seeing the blooded concrete through her ghostly appendages, and to the side of it, her cold and battered body. She gasped before looking to Komamura.

"Oh no, no this isn't right. I'm dead? How can I be dead? I can't be surely!" She stated as a matter-of-factly, her eyes hardening as she saw Komamura's jowls part to speak. "You… did this to me. But. Why?" She said tenderly, stopping Komamura in his tracks, he hadn't accounted for this. "And what in the world is this!" She yelped, running her translucent fingers over the hefty chain strutting from her chest; the end was broken and corroding upwards like it had been dipped in a strong acid. Tears ran down her cheeks as she released the chain from her clutches, the end clanging on the ground as it was dropped.

"I will understand if you never forgive me for such an act, but if I had not, you would have surely become a Hollow. It was not something I had intended to do at all, I wanted to protect you – I wanted to keep your soul intact."

Her eyes softened at his comment "What happens now?" She said gently, trying to accept that there was no going back, trying to accept that the life she knew and worked so hard for was lost.

"I will perform a Konso, it will send you to the Soul Society; a place where all souls are sent after death." He took a heavy step forward; the sorrow he felt for her was beginning to build up within him.

Morro quickly stepped away from him "No. I can't go. You can't send me away from here!" She cried, almost pleading with the Captain.

"You must. Death has only slowed the hollowfication process. Once your chain was worn away you will begin to transform again."

"Please… I have a child, Moshiri, I need to see her one last time before I go."

"I'm sorry, but there is not time for that, you will be more of a danger to her."

"I would never hurt my daughter; I just want to see her."

"You would never hurt her, but the monster ready to posses you would do much worse. You need to be sent or everyone you love will be in danger."

"Morro-San -" Orihime said gently "I will make sure Moshiri is safe and happy, She will know how much you loved her, I promise" She said, tears brimming over her eyes.

"Thank you Orihime-San" she said gratefully, wrapping her ghostly arms around her in a gentle hug. She pulled away before a large chunk of her chain fell, leaving just inches left until it corroded into her heart.

"I will find you again." Komamura added, wanting to make her smile again like she did when they were taking shelter from the rain. Her hands caressing his ears.

Morro nodded her eyes brighter now "My name is Morro Onomara." She replied, watching him bring the hilt of his sword to face her.

"And I am Sajin Komamura." He said before tapping the hilt upon the centre of her forehead.

"Sajin Komamura." She whispered to herself before her body glowed a luminous blue, lighting up the ground which she was stood upon. The Konso mark upon her forehead flickered gently before her body began to fade; being swallowed by a gentle blue flame which lifted her then engulfed her spirit, sending her to the Soul Society.

* * *

><p><strong>i have never done a big fight scene before, so i hope it's up to your expectations =)<strong>

**Please please Review as it really keeps me going, and i love the feedback.**

**Your probably expecting a bit of fluffiness, but i'm keeping it at bay, as i'm not a lover of insta-love - slow burning all the way. **

**So they will be separated in the next couple of chapters, but i will give both Komamura and Morro's stories until the reunion T_T**

**Morro's personality will become more apparent too.**


	3. Day 1: Angst and New Beginnings

**It's finally here! Sorry this took so god damn long . Work and RL has been terribly hectic !**

**Thanks again to Kenta and Coyote 71 for the reviews! **

**And thanks to Cutie Kyuubi and Day-of-the-dead-tattoogal too =D  
><strong>

**Hope you like the new chapter! Please R&R ^-^**

**Disclaimer: The Bleach universe belongs to Tite Kubo. The story and the OC's Morro, Ritsuba, Noko and Mitsuki Belong to me.**

* * *

><p>The blue light faded, and the pressure of the sandy earth against Morro's body gently pushed her awake. She shifted upon the ground, opening her jade eyes one at a time as the bright sunlight pierced the creamy darkness she had since left. She pulled an arm up to shield her sun drenched face, watching a few clouds roll over a lazy afternoon. The blue sky dazed above and a bird tweeted across, its silhouette almost engulfed as it crossed the patch of the sun.<p>

"Where…" She uttered before her eyes widened, she rocked over onto her knees, examining the pure ivory robe around her figure, her hands caressing the fabric belt holding it in place. Her mind raced over what had happened just moments earlier, remembering back to the wet, dingy street in which she lost her life. The sticky blood and excruciating pain… her ghostly fingers.

Her hand shook with anticipation as she brought it slowly to her neck, her fingers smoothed over where Komamura's blade had been just minutes before, yet it felt untouched, perfect almost.

She peeled her fingers through her scarlet hair as a stream of tears played down her cheeks in silence. Her body rocked forward in a desperate motion, her hands catching her fall, clutching at the rough sand below.

Komamura's words echoed in her mind _"I will perform a Konso, it will send you to the Soul Society; a place where all souls are sent after death."_ Her mind dawned and her eyes closed tightly at the prospect – there was no going back.

"No… NO! I can't be…" She uttered, her tears now falling upon the sand, leaving dark patches on its surface. The hot sun beamed against her back as her head refused to look at her new home. "You bastard… How could you send me here?" Her words quivered before she took a deep breath "YOU BASTARD!" She screamed, whacking her fists upon the ground, creating a small cloud of sand on impact, sticking to her tears. It seemed realization had finally begun to kick in.

The inhabitants of the Rukon district 65 just passed her by as if she were but a mere house cat pining for food. They had seen many new-comers cry for their former life, and this was no different to them of course. Most of them had been through the same experience, and knew that helping would be futile – though many did not decide to help as they were deprived such a luxury when they had first arrived in the district; and many just wanted to get on with their daily routine. Upset newcomers were a commonplace.

"Moshiri…" she whispered, remembering back to her little brown haired angel, falling asleep in her crib to the pitter patter of rain against the window. Oblivious and innocent; not knowing that she would now grow up without her mother in the world to protect her. She knew that Orihime would keep true to her word, they had become good friends working at the bakery, but the pain of losing her daughter was devastatingly immense.

However, through the angst she felt a new strength rising from the pits, she thought she had lost everything, but she had now been given a new life. She could not and would not dwell on her past. She knew now she could never go back; and that idea made her finally lift her head and open her eyes to her new home, however much she did not want to. Her eyes stung from the tears, and they had to adjust to the light for a few short moments. _This is it. I can't just stay here wallowing in my own pity. I need to be strong about this. It hurts, and I know it always will. But I can't define myself on that. I must- _her mind stopped as her eyes finally made out her surroundings in clarity. She rocked back into a kneeling position, seeing a collection of rundown buildings and houses, some even scorched and collapsed. The streets where rickety and badly maintained, and the people where passing her by as if she were a ghost – well, a ghost of a ghost. She quickly pulled her hand to her mouth in silent shock, her cheeks blushing lightly as many would have heard her previous outburst. Though finding comfort in the fact that nobody cared. "I thought- I thought it would be nicer," She whispered, realizing that 'nicer' was a complete understatement. She imagined castles and angels. Not… this.

Morro rose to her feet uncomfortably, pulling the ties to her ivory robe tighter around her waist. She took a deep breath, allowing her arms to fall by her sides. She was surprised at how real everything felt as she started walking. She always imagined the afterlife to be a wonderful place – not a collection of slums and bumbling people, all striving to make a living out of the little they had. The sand was rough against the soles of her dainty feet, the soft breeze being the only comfort to her. She sighed as she stepped upon the badly maintained path, "Strange. I never expected the afterlife to be worse – compared to this, Karakura town was a paradise." She spoke to herself as she stopped walking, trying to figure out what to do with herself now. She had no idea how this new world worked, how would she find food or water? She looked down for a short moment before she was suddenly knocked over from behind. She instantly lost her balance and fell to the ground with a thud.

"Oh! Please accept my apologies, I didn't see you there!" Morro looked behind to see a man standing over her, his arm outstretched to help her up. She could not see his face from the glare of the sun, but she accepted his hand all the same.

"Don't worry about it, I guess I shouldn't have stopped on a busy path" She said with a slight quiver in her voice, rather shocked that she could feel a twinge of pain in her knee. As soon as she was helped to her feet, he turned in the opposite direction and continued on his hurried walk.

"Well, I must be going now. Be more careful!" He said, before almost dissipating into the crowd.

"Wait!" Morro shouted before losing sight of the gentleman, a sigh rolling out of her lips. "I need to know where I am… and what to do with myself" she whispered before turning the opposite way, now walking along the sand next to the path which was much easier on her delicate feet.

She had been walking for a good hour by now, and the scenery had changed for the better. Gone was the hustle and bustle of where she had first awoken, the houses where less wrecked and the area looked much more peaceful. Yet there still seemed to be an aura of hostility in the air, and the odd shout and dashed footsteps still creped under her skin at any given moment.

Then, out of the hushed houses she heard a loud scream which instantly grabbed her attention, it was that of a young girls which sent her motherly hormones burning. Instinctively she sprinted towards a nearby house from which she heard the scream.

She ran through the broken door, her eyes panicked and ready to protect her. She could see an old couple, cuddled up with a young girl aged around 8 or 9 in the corner, and a tall, black clothed man in the center of the house. A large dagger poised in this right hand, as if he were ready to lunge at the three.

"Dont lie you old bitch! Tell me where you keep your supplies, and I'll just kill one of you!" he shouted aggressively, advancing towards the three. The young girl had her eyes covered, her hands wet with tears as the old woman pulled her closer. Morro stood at the doorway unnoticed, shell shocked at what she was seeing, her eyes narrowed with anger.

"Please, leave us be!" The old man replied desperately "We have nothing to give you, it was all taken days ago by another one of you thieves!"

"How dare you! I am no meager thief you old fool!" He growled angrily before pushing forwards, picking up the young girl by her red hair, her screams intensifying as the old woman wailed powerless towards the man.

Morro watched as the brute lifted his dagger towards the girl's neck, and before she had time to think, she was running towards the assailant, her fists bawled up in rage. She had to hit him with everything she had, she knew in that short moment that she would most likely get herself killed again, but she was nothing in this world. If it could bide time to let those three escape it would have been worth it.

As her fist impacted his stomach a large, bone shattering crunch hit her and everyone else's ears. She lifted her head in shock as the thief's eyes nearly popped from his sockets, a flood of blood raining from his mouth before his body was rocketed against the wall of the house, and the girl falling over herself as he instantly released his grip on her. The wood then broke and the thief landed a stone's throw from the house, doused in debris and struggling to breathe; his chest rising and falling painfully as a flow of blood wept from his side.

There was silence until a small voice piped up, her amber eyes gazing up in awe "How did ya become so strong! That was so cool!" She said in a sweet, unfazed voice, clapping her hands together once.

The old couple raised their heads in curiosity, awaiting her reply.

"I uh- well… I don't really know." Morro replied a shy smile beaming over as she finished her sentence. She raised her hand to her face, examining the blood dripping from small gashes which were scattered across her knuckles; which could have only been made by the man's splintered ribs.

_How /did/ I get this strong?_

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"It's not too late, Komamura-san, you don't need to include this in your report. We can all keep this to ourselves; after all, you are the only one to give the details of this mission to the head Captain." Urahara spoke beneath the humming florescent lights of the shop.

Uryu and Chad has retired home, and Orihime had gone to repot Morro's body to the police; claiming it had been a random stabbing whilst they were walking together.

Komamura looked over towards Urahara and Yoruichi across the coffee table in one of the shop's back rooms. The warm mist of the hot tea in front of them gave the room a delicate scent.

"I appreciate your concern, Urahara-san. However, I cannot defy head Captain Yamamoto. To withhold such information would be a direct breech of his trust – and that is something I cannot afford to lose. I owe my life as a Shinigami to him."

"Besides," Yoruichi said, accepting Komamura's decision, "If they were to find out that you had warped the truth at a later date, the consequences would be much more dire" She watched Komamura for a short moment before leaning her elbows on the table and crossing her palms "… And I'm sure that this woman will not go unnoticed in the Rukon District."

"Why is that?" Komamura asked as Urahara looked at Yoruichi curiously.

"Do you remember when you pierced her with your Zanpakuto?" Komamura Nodded, his heart feeling heavier. "When she tried to pull it out of her neck, it created a halo of red around your Zanpakuto, which is the color your body glows whenever you use your Shikai or high amounts of your spiritual pressure. I theorize that she had absorbed a decent amount of your spiritual pressure at that point which is why she was able to pull it out. I'm almost certain that, if this were the case, she would still retain that power."

"Though it's difficult to tell the true nature of what has happened," Urahara spoke, lifting his cup to take sip, "Occurrences like this are very rare, and there is very little information to go on. This is a far cry from the case of Ichigo Kurosaki; as substitute Shinigami stay in human form until dejected from their bodies as souls. Also, substitutes are only born when the subject is pierced through the heart with a Zanpakuto. Morro was only pierced through the neck, and though she absorbed a fraction of your power, it will still be enough to give her a sizable amount of strength. And unlike Ichigo, she died just moments after gaining it."

"I understand." Komamura replied, rather bothered by the fact that he had not realized nor noticed sooner. In a moment of reflection he felt almost happy at the fact she had absorbed some of his power, and that it would help her if she had been sent to the outer districts. "Thank you both for your help, I appreciate your knowledge towards this situation" He said as he rose to his feet. "It's time for me to return to the Soul society, the sooner I report this the better."

Urahara followed Komamura to the front of the shop; daylight was beginning to roll over the horizon to bring in the morning.

"When you find her…" Urahara commented, watching as Komamura turned his head to see him, "Keep her close and keep me updated, it'd be an interesting occurrence to keep on record - To know how she's doing with her new found power, and how it develops." He said intriguingly, tipping his hat gently as he spoke.

"As you wish, Urahara-san" He replied before opening the Senkaimon to take him to the soul society.

"… and Komamura-san, good luck against Central 46."

"Thank you." He said before stepping through the gate, his eyes closed in thought as the doors slid to close behind him. _Central 46… I only hope the judiciary sees this in the right light. I suppose ive always been prey to my own heart. I must collect my thoughts and reason, and put up a good case, otherwise wave everything ive worked so hard for goodbye. _

_Morro… why did you have to get in the way, you selfless fool._

The Senkaimon doors opened within the 7th squad's gardens, Komamura's usual training grounds. He strode out of the white light, feeling the warm sun fall upon his fur and the crisp grass beneath his feet.

Below a nearby cherry blossom tree was a white dog house, and Goro's curious face poking out of it. With a happy yip the mutt dived towards his beloved master, jumping like a happy puppy into his arms.

Komamura caught him, snuggling his fur with his nose, taking in the notable fragrance of the lotus flower shampoo that he had given Iba for Goro before setting off on his mission.

"Goro! I see Iba-san has been taking good care of you." He said, his eyes smiling as Goro barked in confirmation before jumping down and standing by his master's side.

"Well, let's go inside, I have a lot of work to do." He announced, pacing towards the barracks and towards his office. Goro charged ahead and was the first one inside, barking loudly as if to alert everyone to his master's presence. His little paw steps patted against the hard wood and his barks echoed against the walls.

Lieutenant Iba was in the main office, compiling reports on a new worry to the Soul society; it seemed like a rebellion was approaching from the Rukon district, and each squad were scrambling their teams to gather as much intel as possible on the situation – only to earn the most brownie points from the head captain.

He quickly caught Goro's barks and immediately rose to his feet, quickly scrambling to organize the paperwork on the desk before the door slid open.

"Captain!" Iba greeted, running to the front of the desk and bowing slightly "How was your mission, sir? I trust you took care of the Arrancar no problem."

"Yes, the mission went well, though there are some details that I will run through with you once I have the report done. It is important that I get this done as soon as possible."

"No problem, sir. Is there anything I can get you?"

Komamura walked over to his desk, sitting down. "I'd be grateful if you entertained Goro for a while, I just can't afford any distractions right now."

"Of course." Iba turned to walk out of the door, but before he could take a step, the captain's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Did you file all of these papers, Iba-san?" Komamura asked, glaring lightly.

"Y-yes, I did – is there a problem, sir?"

"Didn't I tell you to leave this to me once I got back?"

"Yes, however I had a lot of free time on my hands, I thought you wouldn't have minded, after all it makes less work for yourself." He replied, trying to explain himself.

"Well then. Take Goro and give him to another division member."

"But, sir? - "

"- Then go and make some time for yourself."

"but."

"Relax, Lieutenant. You've done much more than expected of yourself. Go get yourself some Saki." Komamura said with an easygoing look.

"Thank you Captain." Iba replied, calling Goro over and exiting the Captains room.

Komamura's smile faded with the closing of the sliding doors, his attention now fully upon his report.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"So! What's ya name, punchy?" The young girl asked jokingly as the old lady began wrapping Morro's hand in a makeshift bandage. Not much was initially said after the incident, and the old man had left through the new 'entrance' to see to the thief, most likely to dispose of his body as soon as possible, as not to draw attention.

"My name is Morro Onomara," She said gladly, her eyes smiling at the young girl. She had very similar hair to herself, a slightly lighter shade of red but shorter than her own. It looked as if she cut it herself, the ends edgy and uneven. She kept her bangs back with a slim white headband, though a few strands still managed to get loose.

"Well, my name is Mitsuki! This is Ba Ba-chan," she said, gesturing towards the old lady who had just about finished with the bandage, "And the old geezer outside is No No-chan." She said with an enthusiastic tone, her amber eyes in tune with her delight.

"Ba-Ba and… No-No?" Morro said with a smile, looking towards the old woman. She had long, white hair that was neatly pulled into a high pony tail, held by a string-cord with blue clips. She and Mitsuki both wearing basic, rather tattered looking kimono's which where black with a blue trim.

"Oh, sorry, Mitsuki likes to shorten our names – rather a childish act if you ask me." She chuckled, placing the aid kit on the dark-wood floor. "My name is Ritsuba, and my husband is Noko."

"- And your new name will be Ro Ro-chan!"

Morro smiled, laughing lightly "That sounds good to me, Mitsuki-san. And thank you very much for the bandage, Ritsuba-san."

"Goodness, child, please don't thank me. Well it should be us thanking you! After all you did save Mitsuki's life." The old woman smiled before pulling up a plank of wood from the flooring, placing the aid kit inside. Morro quickly caught a glimpse, noticing it contained food items and other useful things.

The house itself was rather bare, and she quickly determined that they must keep their most valuable possessions out of sight. _But why did they risk Mitsuki's life to keep them from being stolen? _Morro's face was lost in thought for a moment before Ritsuba's voice brought her back.

"I know what you're thinking. But please understand that occurrences like this happen very often – too many times to count. If we gave everything away every time we were robbed we would have nothing at all; not even a roof over our heads."

"Ba ba-chan is right! Besides, I would have kicked his butt anyway." Mitsuki piped up, punching the air.

"So why don't you move if things are so bad?" Morro asked.

"Ah! Well that would take a lot of travelling, and me and Noko are far too old for such things." She said lightheartedly, standing up to look out of the window at her husband. He was walking back towards the house. "Plus we just don't have the money. The lower districts are much too classy for us alley cats" She said with a smile.

"Excuse me, Ritsuba-san. But what do you mean by lower districts?" Morro asked, switching the subject but keeping close to her curiosity.

"I knew it!" Mitsuki jumped, pointing a mocking finger at Morro's ivory robe "You're a noob!" She laughed as Morro's face dropped, her composure dropping lightly as a vein rose to the surface of her forehead.

"Who are you calling a noob! I just saved your life!" she replied quickly, standing up in annoyance.

"Well you are new aren't you? – And I could have handled that guy no problem!" Mitsuki replied smugly, folding her arms.

"Mitsuki-san! Are you hassling our guest?" Both Morro and Mitsuki turned to greet the old man as he entered the house through the hole in the wall. Noko was rather tall with short, pale blue hair. His age was seen easily in his face but his brown eyes still radiated a sense of youth.

"Nope, just telling it how it is."

"I'm sure you are." Noko replied with a smile, walking over to Morro. "So how long have you been in the Soul society my dear?"

"Well, only a few hours." She said, her eyes rolling as she heard Mitsuki scoff at her answer.

"My, you have a lot to learn" Ritsuba said before pulling up another floorboard and reaching in. "Who wants' tea?" She asked, pulling out a small tea set and a bag of leaves. The three nodded in thanks before she walked into another room.

"I'll help you Ba Ba-Chaaaannn!" Mitsuki said before following Ritsuba eagerly into the other room.

"May I ask your name, dear?" The old man asked as he keeled down at the table. Morro followed suit and sat across from him.

"It's Morro Onomara," she said, feeling more relaxed. "Ritsuba-san has already told me yours."

"As I expected. Now , what would you like to know? I'm sure you'll be full of questions, dear."

"Well, Ritsuba-san mentioned something about the lower districts earlier?"

"Yes, we are currently in District 65. Altogether there are 320 districts separated in North, South East and West; 80 in each. The lower the district number the closer you are to the center and the quality of life is also increased. As you can imagine, life in district 65 is very difficult for us."

Noko went on to explain many things as Morro listened, interested towards the new world she had been thrown into, but one certain detail captured her attention like no other.

"… and that is where the Soul Reapers reside."

"Soul reapers…" She repeated, her eyes widening lightly, remembering back to when Komamura had explained it to her in the world of the living. "Tell me, Noko-san, do you know a soul reaper named Sajin Komamura?"

"Oh my yes, everyone knows about the captains, they are the strongest Shinigami - Komamura especially… He's a strange lookin' one."

"I know… I've met him." Morro nodded.

Noko looked slightly shell-shocked but Morro went on to explain the situation, and everything that had happened before she was sent to the soul society. Ritsuba and Mitsuki joined them on the table after a couple of minutes, meaning Morro had to backtrack on her story, but It didn't bother her at all. All three seemed very interested in the way she had died.

"I wonder if he'll try to find ya." Mistsuki added, her face alight. She had taken the pleasure of sitting next to Morro, her tea cup nestled gently in her hands. "That would be ever so romantic!" She said in an overly dramatic way, the back of her hand resting on her forehead as a sneaky smile played on her lips.

"Mitsuki…" Morro growled, her cheeks reddening. The old couple then began to laugh making her blush even more before they all started laughing. It was strange, it was like they had known each other for a long time, and now the house that looked so bare and empty before seemed so warm and homey now, though the huge hole in the wall made her feel slightly guilty.

As the laughter calmed she placed her cup down, looking over to Ritsuba and Noko across the table.

"Please, let me help you repair your wall, it's the least I can do after ruining it." She said with an honest smile, though her intentions falling on wanting to stay with the three of them.

"We won't argue with that, and you're welcome to stay as long as you like," Ritsuba replied happily, followed by a confirming nod from Noko.

"- And now we'll never get burgled again, because we have Ro Ro-chan to protect us!" she said before pouncing upon the woman, wrapping her arms around her.

"You got that right Mitsuki-chan." she said cheerfully, hugging the little red head back.

"I've always wanted a big sister! No, wait! How old are ya, Ro Ro-chan?" The girl said, jumping to her feet as if she had important news.

Morro's hair bristled at being asked her age but she collected herself quickly. "I- uh well, I'm twenty six" She replied, watching the young girls face burst with pride all of a sudden.

"Ha! Well that makes ya the little sister, 'cus I'm Fifty eight!"

Morro's face fell, gawping lightly. "- and me and Ritsuba here are in our three hundreds." The old man added.

Morro fell back off her chair in surprise before uproar of laughter filled the small house. _I still have a lot to learn about this place. _

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

"Iba-san, I would very much like you to read through this, just to familiarize yourself with my current situation." Komamura asked, handing over the finished report to his Lieutenant.

"Situation?" Iba asked, looking down at the papers.

"Yes, now please, take a seat and read it. Please try not to make this public as of yet, but as my lieutenant I trust you and want you to know what may happen to me as a result of this." Komamura added, pointing to the report.

Iba sat and read through it, his face contorting at certain parts, but all the while remaining silent until he was finished reading the whole thing.

"I would have expected no less from you, Captain" Iba said, as he laid the report on the table, his eyes were covered as usual by his sunglasses, yet his body language suggested worry.

"Thank you, Iba-san, that's just what I wanted to hear." He said calmly, picking up the papers and heading towards the door. "I will be meeting with the head Captain in half an hour and will accept any punishment accordingly."

Iba nodded, watching silently as his captain exited his office. "Good luck, Komamura-sama" He whispered to himself.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!<strong>

**- and please, if you have read it, leave a review ! XD **

**I'd love to know your thoughts and opinions, plus they keep me going and spur me on! ^-^**

**New chapter will be up quicker than this one, i promise you! =D**

**Thanks for reading!**


End file.
